Three Shades of Grey
by Tavern Wench
Summary: Dumbledore will stop at nothing to get Draco Malfoy on his side not even murder. WARNING this contains SLASH! it is currently between adults but i might pervert the children later.


Author: Tavern Wench  
  
Title: Three Different Shades of Grey  
  
Summery: Dumbledore is willing to do anything that will get Draco on his side what will happen as his decision affects the lives of all of those involved?  
  
Warnings: There is slash in here the pairings are kind of odd but they fit and I like them. If this becomes a chapter story like I hope it will there will be even more pairings. The one's so far are all between people the same age and only one is really that odd but I'm not going to tell you what they are because they're better as a surprise. There is death and murder and angst too but that's pretty much the plot of the canon books too so I don't think you readers will really mind.  
  
A/N: I know I should be working on A Wish for Happiness but I got an idea so here we are now. Oh and did you know that Voldemort means flight of death in French? I think that's pretty cool. I've had this idea for a while but as I started writing it mutated and grew this may be a long story or it remain as it stands if it grows longer it will become more centered around the children.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned this Voldemort would be dead, Dumbledore would be an evil crime lord, and all of my favorite male characters would be fighting him while screwing like gay bunnies. If any of that is happening then you must have J.K. Rowling's secret stash of unpublished books.  
  
An old man sat at a desk and stared into a basin of clear water. Through the water he could see a scene playing out. Whatever he saw was obviously pleasing to him for he was smiling a small self satisfied smile. This smile looked out of place on his normally benevolent face that any one seeing it would undoubtedly be frightened, so uncharacteristic was it, and they would do well to be frightened for what he was planning and the cause of his smile was most definitely evil. The basin was really a scrying mirror set to the Malfoy mansion. He was content because all he saw led him to believe that Draco Malfoy was not truly evil. He was merely blindly devoted to his father. His father spoiled him and treated him well; and all he asked in return for that was that the boy join the death eaters. For a boy who was raised worshipping his father he would easily fallow him to worship the dark lord. The boy was saveable however; he found the murders distasteful and actually liked most of his classmates including the young Potter and quite a few mudbloods. The only flaw in the otherwise perfect boy was his ingrained habit of blind devotion, no matter how much he hated it he would go even as far as killing himself for his superiors if they provided him with a good enough reason; even if it was only for some small convenience. The old man was determined not to provide the dark lord with such a perfect servant. He had decided to salvage the boy in any way possible and if it resulted in the deaths of several pawns on the board than that was a perfectly acceptable loss. Not his pawns though never his pawns they were on the side of good and therefore their lives were worth much more. No one would truly miss someone who was evil. With his confidence so bolstered he called in one of his favourite pieces, one who would do absolutely anything for him in return for his support. He put the bowl under his desk and composed himself. He was sitting there at his desk smiling his usual all knowing and benevolent smile as Sirius Black walked in through the secret door that led to the small room in the basement that was currently the fugitive's hiding spot. "What do you want me to do Dumbledore?" the gaunt animagnus asked his old teacher. "It has come to my attention that a very strong young wizard is on the brink of joining the death eaters. I have however devised a way to prevent this from happening." "Who is this?" Sirius said half expecting to hear the name Neville Longbottom for no one knew more then Sirius how a neglected Gryffindor could turn out. "Draco Malfoy." The older man proclaimed evenly. Sirius started "Are you sure he can be turned?" he asked while seating himself on one of Dumbledore's many chairs. "From what Harry has told me he is pretty much established as evil." Dumbledore smiled deprecatingly at him as though he were a child. "Not if we play our cards right." He said mysteriously. "What do we have to do?" Sirius said suddenly interested. "Kill Lucious Malfoy" Dumbledore said as he steepled his fingers under his chin. "How would that help us?" Sirius said, his facial expressions clearly reflecting his perplexedness. "We make it look like the death eaters did it. The boy loves his father more then the group he belongs to. He will run straight into our arms if hr believes it will help get back his fathers murderers." "Which will really be us." The dog man said his tone conveying his disgust and disbelief. The old man raised his eyebrows and stated in a deceptively kind tone. "I thought you hated Lucious Malfoy for taking Severus away from you. I thought you would jump at the chance to kill him." Sirius leapt up in anger his face suffused with blood. "God dammit Dumbledore that was a long time ago. I can manage to bench my old grudges thank you. If I get caught doing this people will think I really am a death eater nothing could save me then. Besides if the boy finds out he'll come after the whole order with murder on his mind. During the last war I saw what anger and grief could do to bolster someone's powers. Forgive me if I gave you the impression that I'm suicidal because I'm not and that's what you're asking of me, suicide." Dumbledore shook his head disapprovingly and gave the impression of a loving parent wronged. "Now, now Sirius it has to be done and if you don't do it I'll just get someone else. I simply thought you were the best choice but if you're determined not to do it maybe I'll just make this Harry's initiation task." He looked up at Sirius through his bushy eyebrows to see if he took the bait. "You can't do that! Asking a child that young to kill an accomplished death eater its madness! Killing anybody at all is madness what are you trying to do Dumbledore eliminate Voldemort so you can take over the world yourself?" For the first time possibly in his life Dumbledore showed true anger "I am trying too save your ungrateful LIFE pawn, I think you would do well to remember that and keep your temper in check whenever you come into my presence again." the old man fairly hissed. "Now go and do your task, Malfoy will be brought into the fold no matter who does the deed, so unless you want your precious god son to stain his pretty hands with blood I suggest you go now." So Sirius Black left with all his confidence in the world shattered. If Dumbledore could be that petty, mean, and simply evil who knew what could be hiding behind the masks of others? Perhaps Lucious was not truly evil, power mad maybe but not evil. What if he had actually loved Severus? What if they had come to mutual agreement about Narcissa? What if, and stab of pain ran through his heart at this, they are still together and I am the only one still left alone? Then the hardest question came. What if he'll hate me for killing Lucious? As he quickly walked towards the nearest fire place he resolved to pay a visit to Severus after he did the horrid deed. It had been far too long a time since he met him in private and outside of council rooms. With his new found revelation of Dumbledore's hidden side he allowed a faint spark of joy to blossom that maybe, just maybe he loved him still. It was just before Christmas vacation and at the Malfoy mansion everything was being prepared for when the young master would come home. Lucious and Narcissa were buying anything and everything they thought there son might like. The servants and house elves were decorating and preparing all sorts of traditional foods. The aura of love and pride was overwhelming as the anticipation mounted. Lucious and Narcissa were sitting in the lounge drinking some sherry and going through there photo album which featured them, Severus, and Draco. As they were happily reminiscing about there close knit and secretive family group something unexpected happened. A sooty figure appeared from the fireplace obviously having travelled by floo network. It only took a couple of seconds before a stunned Lucious recognized him. "Sirius Black?" he said disbelievingly. The figure looked up his face tormented and pained. Narcissa clung to the larger form of her husband trying to shelter herself from the strange soul which had intruded into their happiness. "What's wrong with you Black? Pull yourself together." Lucious said with only a hint of disgust. "I'm sorry you two. I'm terribly, terribly sorry." He said as he pulled his wand out slowly. His face was the face of a shattered man. Lucious' eyes widened in fear as he slowly backed away from what he presumed was a mad man. As he slowly tried to reason with Black he sheltered his delicate wife behind his frame. "Now Black what's all this about. Don't do anything drastic..." He was cut off by the soft voice of the man standing in front of him. "It's not me, not anymore, it's Dumbledore. I'm sorry I really am." As he raised his wand comprehension dawned on Lucious and as he cursed himself for not bringing his wand with him he pulled his wife into a hug. "Tell Severus we still love him and that we're sorry for sticking behind Him." Silent tears started streaming down the dark man's face as he spoke the words and watched the green light, so beautiful, suck the life out of the proud and well matched couple. Then he slowly cast the spell that would leave the dark mark in the air. He walked back to the fireplace and prepared himself mentally for the meeting with Severus. The potions master had been spending his night trying to devise a new type of wolfsbane potion maybe one that would be more lasting. He had to work in the nights so no one would find out what he was attempting until he succeeded, he did not even consider that he might fail. He was Severus Snape and he did not fail. He told himself the potion was to help the war effort; he would tell everybody else that when he was finished as well. He did not like the werewolf. He suspected he was in love with Sirius Black. The potions master had loved him once and although he was not planning on resuming that, (with a smile he stirred his potion and thought of Lucious, shining, bright, Lucious) he had set out to make the man love him for as long as he lived, and Severus Snape did not like to fail. A soft knock on his door startled him from his broodings. As he walked toward the door he wondered who it was as his visitors were usually few and far between. In fact the only person he could ever recall visiting him was young Draco and he had come just last night. He hastened his steps as he realized that the only thing that would bring someone to his door was dire news. He had reached the door and steeled himself for the worst as he opened it. On the other side was the bedraggled figure of his former love. Sirius raised his head and his weary eyes gained contact with Severus' perplexed ones. "He's dead Snape. He's dead." The potions master pulled the fugitive into his apartment and shut the door before confronting the confusing and presumably sorrowful news. "Who's dead?" He asked in the deceptively soft and quit voice he was using to hide his concern and worry. Sirius looked up at the taller man and screwed up his courage before quietly stating "Lucious, he and Narcissa are dead. I'm sorry for your loss." As soon as he'd heard the words he had entered a state of numb shock. How could Lucious and Narcissa both be dead? They were so strong and wonderful why couldn't he have been the one to die? Lucious was supposed to be safe that was the only reason he hadn't insisted his lover switch sides. And Narcissa was such a sweet little dear, an energetic little bird whose passion was acting. He could still remember the look of mischievous delight on her face when he and Lucious had made the proposition to her she had been such a wonderful choice...he sunk down to a sitting position on one of his chairs as the weight of his emotions forced him down. He laughed bitterly before speaking. "How could you know quite what my loss was? It was more then just a pitiful high school romance you know." Sirius handed him an old worn leather photo album. "This is how I know." And he sat back and waited for the questions. Severus stared at the album in his hands blankly for a while then he opened the first page and instantly recognized the books significance, he had after all created some of the wear on it himself. It was the only photo book with the real family in it all four of them, the absolute best kept secret of the Malfoy family. 'How did you get this?" He croaked out through the lump in his throat. "I killed them." The felon proclaimed dispassionately, or so it seemed. He was staring at the floor but if he had looked up for even a second the quiet tears streaming down his face would be clearly visible. "If I had any energy left you would be dead right now you know." Severus proclaimed in a dead voice. "But you probably knew that so that brings me to the why." Up till know he had sounded like someone delivering a class lecture but all of a sudden his voice gained the characteristics of the grief stricken man that he was. "Could you please give me a reason why they had to die?" "Dumbledore wants their son." "What?" Snape stated with confusion. "Dumbledore decided that the only way Draco would come to our side would be if death eaters killed his parents." "So he got you to do it." Snape stated in a dry and heartbroken tone. "That's just fucking ridiculous." He said in the same voice. "Just FUCKING ridiculous." He fairly shouted as he stood up angrily. He then turned on the Man standing in front of him. "And why the hell did you do this?" "He said he'd make Harry do it if I didn't." he said quietly. "He would have tried to do it. You know that." Severus did indeed know what lengths that foolish boy would go to if he thought it would serve the side of good. He was foolish and naive not realizing there was really a distinction there might be a good and an evil but the rest were just minions doing what they thought was right. He then thought of what he would do if it were Draco in that position instead of Harry and forgave the man a little. He smiled when he thought of Draco, Draco might have done the task but not because of the idealistic notions of good and evil, he would do it because it was his duty; the big difference is he would not try to justify it and he would not enjoy it. His Draco was truly mercenary in nature although he did have some scruples. "And I suppose if I were to tell anybody it would destroy everything we're trying to work towards?" He drawled in a bored tone. "Most likely." Said Sirius nervously, then after a small pause" I wouldn't blame you if you did though." It seemed as if it had taken a great deal of bravery to say that and Severus was reminded once again just how much Sirius stood to lose. "No I've got a better idea." He stopped and took what may have seemed like a dramatic pause but was really just so he could actually get an idea. Then all of a sudden it hit him, the perfect solution to all of their problems at that at that same moment the potion he had been working on flashed green smoke signalling success. Severus went to pour some into a cup and than gave Sirius instructions as he walked back around the table. " We let Dumbledore's plan go into action, then when we know Draco has realized the error of Voldemort's forces..."He refused to say dark side there was no dark or light only different shades of grey. " then we tell him. It'll be up to him then." The Potions master placed the cup in Sirius' hands and then graced him with a small melancholy smile. "Leave me and let me grieve, take this to Lupin say it's a present and..." He pondered at the finality and of what he was about to say it would mean a small sacrifice but what did it matter anymore? Lucious and Narcissa were dead nothing really mattered anymore. "And let him heal you." He slowly led him to the door and gently pushed him into the corridor. "It's time to let it go; you have the world waiting for you outside your walls." And Sirius knew exactly what he meant, he smiled faintly back at Severus and then went to find his world. Severus watched him slowly walk away from the doorway. As he turned to go inside and look at the picture album he thought that maybe, just this once, he was glad to fail. He closed and locked the door behind him then went to grieve. 


End file.
